







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Hang on, I remember you telling me you never kill animals! | |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | |
| Because you are in it. | |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | |
| That's nice... I hope she is not a teenager! How old is she? | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| Okay, that's fine. | |
| He just moved from Brighton and lives around here. | |
| I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen, so I have no plan. | |
| I'd like to one day, when they invent teleportation. | |
| Anyway, I need to go to the loo as well... | |
| Why is that rice so special? | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | |
| And this is my girlfriend, Cate. | |
| I want him to check the heaters in the rooms while he is here! | |
| I'm hungry, but it's better to have something when we meet the guys. | |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | |
| My rent is monthly, I pay £600 per month. | |
| Yes, it might be, but I'm very busy with some projects these days. | |